Noticeboard

Out of HoursThe hours between 6:30 pm and 8:00 am are covered by a deputising service. If you need to contact this service during these hours telephone 111.

Telephone AdviceIf you have a routine problem or a question which you feel does not require a face to face appointment then the doctors are all available for contact by phone. Please call reception who will take a message and some details from you, the GP will then call you back within 48-72 hours. Alternatively, you can book one of our pre-bookable telephone call back appointments.

Cancelling your AppointmentIf you are unable to attend an appointment with one of the doctors or nurses, please telephone or use the link at the bottom of this page to cancel your appointment.

There's an App for that!!

All smartphone users can now download the "Patient Access" App. This uses your current online patient access login details so you can now book appointments and order prescriptions on the run

Text Reminder

We are pleased to announce a new service for our patients, we are now able to send text messages to remind you of a forthcoming appointment at the surgery. Please help us to improve this service by making sure we have an up to date mobile phone number. If you wish to opt out of this service please inform reception.

Appointments

All GP appointments are of 10 minutes duration. It is helpful to bear in mind that it is difficult for any GP to attend properly to several problems in one 10 minute appointment, so please try to ensure you go with one problem, or two at the most.

Named GP

From the 1st April 2015 NHS England introduced a contractual requirement of a named GP for all patients. Please ask at reception if you do not know who your named GP is, or you wish to change your named GP. These new arrangements do not prevent you making an appointment or seeing any doctor of your choosing within the surgery as you would normally do.

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Flu (also known as influenza) is a highly infectious illness caused by the flu virus. It spreads rapidly through small droplets coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person. For most people, flu is unpleasant but not serious. You will usually recover within a week.

Studies have shown that flu vaccines provide effective protection against the flu, although protection may not be complete and may vary between people. Protection from the vaccine gradually decreases and flu strains change over time. Therefore, new vaccines are made each year and people at risk of flu are encouraged to be vaccinated every year.

The flu vaccination is offered to people in at-risk groups. These people are at greater risk of developing serious complications if they catch flu, such as pregnant women and elderly people.

Should I get the Flu Vaccination?

For most people, flu is unpleasant but not serious. You will usually recover within a week.

The flu vaccine is offered free to people who are at risk, to protect them from catching flu and developing serious complications.

At-risk groups

It is recommended that you have a flu jab if you fall into one or more of the following categories:

are 65 years old or over (including those becoming age 65 years by 31 March 2018)

all pregnant women (including those women who become pregnant during the flu season)

all those aged two, three, and four years old (but not five years or older) on 1 September 2017

all school-aged children who are part of the pilot childhood programme

have a serious medical condition (see below)

are living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility (not including prisons, young offender institutions or university halls of residence)

people who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill

are a frontline health or social care worker (see below)

If you are the parent of a child who is over six months old and has a long-term condition on the list below, speak to your GP about the flu vaccine. Your child's condition may get worse if they catch flu.

Pregnant women

It is recommended that all pregnant women should have the flu vaccine, whatever stage of pregnancy they're in.

This is because there is good evidence that pregnant women have an increased risk of developing complications if they get flu, particularly from the H1N1 strain.

Studies have shown that the flu vaccine can be safely and effectively given during any trimester of pregnancy. The vaccine does not carry risks for either the mother or baby. In fact, studies have shown that mothers who have had the vaccine while pregnant pass some protection to their babies, which lasts for the first few months of their lives.

People with medical conditions

The flu vaccine is offered free to anyone who is over six months of age and has one of the following medical conditions:

Children

It will also be offered to children aged 2-18 with long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and lung disease.

Children aged six months to 2 years with long-term health conditions aren't able to have the nasal spray and will get the injected flu vaccine instead.

Who should not have the flu vaccination?

You should not have the flu vaccine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a flu vaccine or one of its ingredients. This happens very rarely.

Is this year's vaccine safe?

Although no medical procedure is totally free of risk, flu vaccines are generally very safe. The most common reaction to the jab is a sore arm, or you may feel hot for a day or two after the vaccination.

This year’s flu jabs have been tested and approved for use across the UK and in Europe. The jab cannot give you flu because it doesn't contain any active viruses.

The Department of Health recommends that everyone who is eligible for a flu jab should have it as soon as the vaccine is available.

If you are in an at-risk group and do not have the jab, you will have a greater risk of developing serious complications or even dying if you get flu this winter.

If you haven't had the flu vaccine and you are in a risk group, make an appointment to get vaccinated.

Flu vaccine for children

In certain geographic areas the spray will also be offered to children aged 2-18 with long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and lung disease. Please contact the surgery for further information if required.

Children aged six months to 2 years with long-term health conditions aren't able to have the nasal spray and will get the injected flu vaccine instead.